Discharger for centrifugal baskets



UNITED STATESl PATENT ori-ics.

EUGENE ROBERTS AND ANGUS H. GIBSON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNORS TO SUGAR CENTRIFUGAL DISCHARG-ER CO., OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORA- TION OF UTAH.

DISCHAIRGER FOR CENTRIFUGAI BASKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application led December 17, 1917. Serial No. 207,432.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGENE ROBERTS an-d ANGUS H. GIBSON, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Salt Lake City, county'of Salt Lake, State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dischargers for Centrifugal Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

yThis invention relates to devices for discharging the walled-up sugar from the basket of a centrifugal machine after the operation of separating the juice orV syrup from the solid sugar has been completed.

The present invention relates to the same general type of discharger as that shown in the Roberts and GibsonPatent No. 957715, granted May 10th, 1910. As in the case of said patented invention,the plow supporting spindle is movable vertically for the purpose of discharging the sugar and also for removing the plow out of the basket. The present invention comprises improved means for supporting Ythe plow so as to render more convenient and easy the removaly of the plow from the basket, and at the same time making it impossible for the plow to be accidentally jolted ofl` from its idle position on top ofthe spindle curb surrounding the basket. Y

To this end, the invention comprises generally speaking, a vertically movable plow spindle with its attached plow mounted 1n; a supporting member that is partially rota-V table about a horizontal axis so that when disturb the accurate positioning ofthe plow when in service. j

These and other features of the invention will ybe more particularly described in this specification and will be defined 1n the claims annexed hereto.. f Y

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated thekpreferred arrangement embodylng the principles of this invention in which:

Figure l is a plan view, with the fixed bracket or casing partly broken away to show the interior construction of the supporting member. i

'Fig. 2 is an elevation showing in dotted lines the operative and idle position respectively of the plow.

Fig. 3 is a vertical central'sectionl of the plow supporting and elevating means.

Fig. 4L is a vertical section showing the means for limiting movement of the plow supporting member. r

According tothe practice illustrated in the drawing we mount on the curb or casing a which surrounds the centrifugal basket b a horizontal tubular bracket 71, having suitabley projections or flanges by which it is bolted to the top of the curb. In the horizontal lcylindrical bore of the bracket h is rotatably mounted an elongated sleeve g which at its inner end is formed with an enla-rgedl head g provided with a circular cavity or chamber for inclosing a pinion f secured to Vthe end of a horizontal operating shaft f which is mounted inthe central bore of the sleeve g. The head g', is also formed with a bore or cylindrical passage located at one side of the pinion chamber and extend.- ing transversely to the axis of the shaft and of the sleeve and partly intersecting the side wall ofisaid pinion chamber to allow the teeth of the pinion to project into said transverse passage to engage the teeth e of a hollow rack bar c that is mounted to slide. yup and down 1n said transverse passage 1n the head gA for a purpose to be explained.

lWithin the sliding hollow rack bar or sleeve c is mounted a rotatable spindle or rod Z to whose lower end is secured the plow c which normally serves to cut down and scrapeaway the sugar or other material walledup Von the inside of the basket Z). YTo the uppery end of this plow spindle is secured a hand lever d by which the plow may be operated to swingtoward or away from the basket b. Y

. Onthe outer end of the horizontalV shaft Af is secured a khand wheel f2'by which the shaftis rotated in order to raise or lower the lplow .spindle d and its attached plow circumferential wall of the u through the interconnecting slidable racksleeve e and the pinion f.

Now as the rack sleeve c extends at right angles to the horizontal rotatable sleeve g and is carried by said sleeve g, it is clear that the rotation of the bearing sleeve g in its containing tubular bracket 7L, through an are of 90o in a contra-clockwise direction, will act to swing the rack sleeve e and the plow supporting spindle (Z from a vertical position for normal use to a horizontal or inoperative position as indicated by the dotted line showing of the rack sleeve above the curb in Figs. l and 2.

That is, the simple turning of the sleeve g one quarter turn from operative position of the plow serves to lift the plow clear out of the top of the basket. To do this the hand wheel must first be turned in a contra-clockwise direction to raise the plow and the plow must be swung toward the center of the basket sufliciently to allow it to clear the overhanging rim of the basket.

To support the pressure or thrust of the revolving wall of sugar against the tip of the plow when the plow is in use we provide a suitable stop member g2. projecting from the head g of the tubular sleeve to engage a shoulder h projecting from the inner end of the tubular bracket 7L, as clear-ly shown in Fig. l. This limits the rotative movement of the sleeve in a clockwise direction while allowing the sleeve to be rotated in the opposite direction when it is desired to withdraw the plow from the basket.

The stop collar g4 secured to the sleeve g by a set screw g5 serves as an end thrust bearing member to prevent axial displacement of the sleeve g in the bracket 7L.

By the above-described,arrangement not only is the plow vvery easily and conveniently removed and re-inserted into the basket and held securely against accidental jarring back into the basket when in idle position above the curb, but furthermore, the plow when in operative position has but a single swinging movement that is toward and away from the periphery of the basket about a vertical axis. The movement of the plow and sleeve about their' horizontal'axis under the pressure exerted by the revolving wall of sugar against the tip ot the plow is limited by means of the stop g2 so that the plow is held firmly against any lateral swinging movement `of its support when in use. ln other words, the thrust or pressure of the sugar against the plow is firmly sustained by the plow supporting structure and thus a more accurate and reliable positioning of the plow is permitted.

l/Vhat we claim is:

1. discharger for centrifugal baskets kembracing in combination a fixed supporting ing a vertically bored member for supporting the vertical plow-supporting spindle to permit both axial and oscillatory movement of said plow-supporting spindle when in operative position for use, a stop member cooperating with said horizontal sleeve to maintain the spindle in working position against the thrust of the material being discharged from the revolving basket, said sleeve being revoluble in an opposite direction to permit the quick removal of the plow from the basket, substantially as described.

2.' In a discharger for centrifugal machines the combination of a discharger plow and vertical oscillatory spindle to which said plow is secured, means for raising and lowering the plow and a supporting member arranged to firmly support the plow against the thrust of' the revolving wall of sugar, said supporting member being rotatable to permit the plow and its supporting spindle to be swung into idle position above the basket, substantially as described.

3. ln a discharger for centrifugal ma-l chines the combination of a fixed bracket, a horizontalsleeve member revolubly mount-- ed in said bracket to have partial rotation about a horizontal axis, a vertically slidable plow supporting spindle carried by said horizontal sleeve whereby said plow spindle may be swung from vertical operative position to horizon-tal idle position above the basket, and means for controlling the operative position of the plow when in use, substantially as described.

4. In a discharger for centrifugal baskets the combination of a discharger plow, a vertical supporting spindle to which said plow is secured, said spindle beingmounted to oscillate about its vertical axis and also to pivot about a horizontal axis to permit its removal from the basket and being vertically movable when in operative position, and means for controlling the operative position of said spindle and plow during the discharging operation, substantially as described. c y 5. In a discharge-r for centrifugal baskets the combination of Va plow and its supporting spindle, said spindle being supported to be turned about two angularly disposed axes, means for actuating said spindle in order to properly position the plow during the discharging operation 'and means for limiting movement of the plow in one direction about one of its axes when the plow is in active use, substantially as described.

6.. In `a-discharge-r for centrifugal baskets the combination of a supporting member mounted to turn about a substantially horizontal axis, a discharger plow, a vertical spindle'to whichsaid plow is secured, said spindle being movable about its own vertical aXis, and also movable longitudinally movement of said supporting member by the thrust of the material in the basket against the plow while permitting rotation of the supporting member in the reverse direction for the restoring of the plow to idle position above the basket, substantially as described.

7. In a discharger for centrifugal machines the combination of the plow and its vertical supporting spindle, a supporting member for operatively supporting the said spindle and plow, said supporting member being movable about a horizontal axis, a bracket in which said supporting member is mounted, a stop device in said supportingI member arranged to engage a fixed shoulder or abutment on the bracket in order to prevent the plow and its spindle from being moved out of operative position by the thrust of the material against which the plow is acting, substantially as described.

8. A discharger for centrifugal baskets embracing in its construction a fixed bracket, a horizontal sleeve rotatably mounted in said bracket, a plow actuating shaft mounted inside said sleeve to raise and lower the plow,

a vertical oscillatory spindle, a plow secured thereto and intermediate connecting means for operatively connecting the plow actuating shaft and the plow supporting spindle, substantially as described.

9. In a discharger for centrifugal machines the combination of the vertical oscillatory spindle, a plow secured to the lower end'thereof to engage and cut away the ma* terial walled up in the interior of the basket, a horizontal shaft having operative connection with said spindle to raise and lowerk ing sleeve mounted in the bore of vsaid bracket to have rotative movement therein, said bearing sleeve having a head formed with a laterally disposed bearing passage extending transversely of the axis of said sleeve, plow supporting means mounted to slide endwise in said bearing passage, an operating shaft mounted in said bearing sleeve and having operative connection with the slidable plow supporting means to raise and lower the same, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, we have subscribed the above specification.

EUGENE ROBERTS.

ANGUS II. GIBSON. 

